How to say "inference" in Japanese

• 推論すいろんCommon
  suru verb, transitive verb, no-adjectiveCovers inference as a logical operation: deriving a conclusion from premises, whether by deduction or induction. Best for logic, philosophy, mathematics, and formal argumentation, where the emphasis is on the validity of the reasoning process.
  言語げんごがどのように始はじまったのかについてはいくつも推論すいろんはあるが、実じつはだれもあまり知しらない。↗

  There are many guesses about how language began, but the fact is that no one really knows.
• 推理すいりJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers inference in the sense of working out facts from evidence or clues, as in detective stories and everyday problem solving. It stresses the mental process of reasoning toward a conclusion, and is the usual word for detective-style inference.
• 推量すいりょうCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbLeans toward guess, conjecture, or supposition: forming an opinion about something uncertain from limited grounds. It is a weaker, more speculative notion than the other two, so it suits estimating or surmising rather than rigorous inference.
  あなたの推量すいりょうは的まとはずれだ。↗

  Your guess is quite wrong.

Use 推論 for formal logical inference from premises, 推理 for reasoning out facts from clues or evidence, and 推量 for conjecture or guessing about something uncertain rather than rigorous inference.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 推論すいろんinference
• 推理すいりreasoning
• 推量すいりょうguess
• 推断すいだんinference
• 窺知きちinference
• 推認すいにんpresumption
• 拝察はいさつsurmise